I feel like it's a promotional video for the TEDx participants and their businesses as well as the related departments at UAB more than anything else.

I mean, it's pretty, but it's also lacking depth and significance.

Even the shot selection is dubious: Empty city streets, rundown abandoned street with a dozen dancers randomly performing to no one, Rehearsal at Alys Stephens, a specific gym who's owner is a speaker, Barons game, Good People brewery, and the words "Donate" and "Sponsorship" featured multiple times.

This is a promotional video and it's kind of disingenuous to pretend it's anything more. UAB being involved in a promotional video production feels very unethical to me.

Downvoted for an in depth counter-view of something...you're absolutely right though. Its pretty funny. You have to be pretty cynical if you don't want to look like an idiot believing in something that barely exists. A city whose skyline is largely vacant and uninspiring. I still don't think Birmingham is anywhere near warranting this type of praise. I mean people go to Atlanta for the culture, but Birmingham is largely lacking any depth in most of its areas. Hell I love Goodpeople beer and the baseball stadium is definitely the best thing downtown has going for it now. Railroad park is a pleasure to be at as well. But still, the large, empty streets with buildings with lease signs really cripple the city's image. Birmingham definitely needs better leadership and urban revival.

I will argue that Morris Ave does hold significant value to Birmingham and is actually a really nice place street where several events are held throughout the year. Still, the whole video is just ironic on a certain level.

Maybe that's the point of the video? To Counteract all these bad things and to try to get people excited about this place... The title is literally "Rediscover the Magic". Can't rebuild anything until your get excited about it. I don't get why you all are being so hateful about a video trying to promote the city you are a part of.
If this city was a fat girl that dropped thirty pounds, you'd be the people to say "well, you're still pretty fat."

The city IS a fat girl and she's standing around, bragging to everyone that she's is GOING to lose 30 pounds. When you ask her how, she'll give you all sorts of grand ideas: fad diets, jogging, cleansing elixirs, phone apps with programs, a book, a TV show - none of it clear or consistent. And when you check back with her 2 weeks later, she hasn't done anything. Not a single walk, no change in eating habits, never opened a single book, app, or bottle of fad diet pills. But she's made excuses and has moved on to other alternatives and options to lose the weight. Oddly, proper diet and regular exercise are no where to be found. When asked, she simply changes the topic to her new, better options and alternatives. Maybe it's slimming clothing, maybe it's her goal to change the way the world see's her - not as fat, but as a healthy and robust person who is rallying against fat shaming...but in the end, it's all hot air and nothing changed.

Why? Because she never laid the groundwork to accomplish her goal. Her goal was to lose 30 pounds. Instead, she found the path of least resistance to avoid addressing the hard part: daily food choices and regular exercise.

That's what's wrong with Birmingham - at least once a year, some group appears to redefine what Birmingham was, is, and should be. And they never lay the groundwork to move it forward. And if they do, city leaders interject to put the brakes on any plans that don't benefit their specific districts (North and West Birmingham.)

Your attitude is detrimental and is the same as turning your nose in the air and calling me names...wait...that's exactly what you did.

Instead of jumping on every single bandwagon, why not get out there and do your own work? Answer? You're scared to. I challenge you to visit West Birmingham and North Birmingham and pitch your revitalization ideas. Go ahead, I'll wait. Those are the areas that are voting the detrimental politicians into office. Have you SEEN Rep. John Rogers house, for example? It's a patchwork of add-on developments full of opulent furniture in the middle of a blighted, run-down neighborhood.

I'm denouncing what's going on here because it's a dog and pony show for the businesses involved. It's a thinly veiled garb at capital investment directed to those involved. Can some good come out of it? Possibly, but that's not the goal - it's a consequence.

Annnnnnnddddd here's where you sound like an idiot.
I'm not going to give you the details because I've got to remain somewhat anonymous, but I work for UAB Athletics, I am a huge proponent about building a new venue in downtown, I work at the Crossplex in the West End as well as at Legion Field and I understand what's wrong with this community. I also come from an out-of-state a city that was in a very similar situation as Birmingham ten years ago but was just recently named one of the top tourist spots in America.
Believe me, I have ever reason to not like this city, but I am also not a total pessimist. If you have such a problem with people trying to turn-around this community, either keep your mouth shut or move to Atlanta since you have such a hard-on for that place. I'm not stopping you from being a mopey bastard, just do it on your own time and stop bringing down everyone else.

Annnnnnnddddd here's where you sound like an idiot. I'm not going to give you the details because I've got to remain somewhat anonymous,

Then don't post. I'm the idiot because I had experience dealing with City (and county and state) politics for 4 years? How did you reach that conclusion?

Believe me, I have ever reason to not like this city, but I am also not a total pessimist.

I'm not a pessimist. I'm a realist with a cynical bent. Spend 3 months attending City Council meetings and public budget committee meetings and you'll begin to see where I'm coming from. I'm not gifted with any information or knowledge that isn't already freely available to the general public. The catch is that most members of the public won't bother to attend or even review the broadcast of the meetings, so they read a blurb or two in the paper or online or they allow the local news affiliates to pick and choose the details that will fit into a 1 min, 30 sec package with into and outro along with a fancy bullet-point graphic.

If you have such a problem with people trying to turn-around this community, either keep your mouth shut or move to Atlanta since you have such a hard-on for that place.

I have no problem with people trying to reclaim Birmingham, but fancy propaganda videos for thinly veiled marketing and networking meetings won't cut it. If you can't change the political face, you can't change Birmingham.

Finally, why don't you keep YOUR mouth shut until you spend a year campaigning for a non-stereotypical political candidate in West and North Birmingham who then goes on to win election. You want to change Birmingham? Put up or shut up...and videos and marketing/networking fiasco's aren't the way to do it.

I'm not stopping you from being a mopey bastard, just do it on your own time and stop bringing down everyone else.

This is on my own time.

I'm not being a mopey bastard, I'm pointing out the obvious and critical flaws with the astoundingly transparent marketing ploy.

If I'm bringing anyone down, it's only because they saw through the facade of rainbows and hope and saw what's really holding Birmingham back...and that would be the people in charge of Birmingham and the people who are appointed or voting to maintain that. Fix that first. However, no one wants to do the hard, foundational work first because it's not easy.

So you're logic is that nothing good can come from this town because of the politics that are involved?
This video just highlighted a ton of things that have gone well in this city and the point of it is to inspire us to do more like it. It isn't saying it's a cure-all, it's just a motivational piece. I'm glad you gave up on this city so long ago because the politics were too much for you, but let the people who have some hope still stir up a positive image for people to get behind. It really is unfathomable to me that you are so hateful that you took something that is suppose to be so incredibly positive, and just shit on it. Change takes a positive realistic outlook; nothing is going to change if you just talk about what's wrong with the world.

I'm glad you gave up on this city so long ago because the politics were too much for you,

What? Where are you consistently getting this stuff? You are literally picking strange things out of thin air to berate me over. I never gave up on the city, nor implied anything close to it.

but let the people who have some hope still stir up a positive image for people to get behind.

The city has a very positive image and nothing else. And that's the problem. You have plenty of pretty pictures and words and next to no substance to back it up. And it's been that way for many years, now. There's a reason that businesses and investors find Birmingham to be a bad investment - BECAUSE IT IS and it's THE POLITICAL LANDSCAPE AND CHOICES THAT MAKE IT SO.

Take all of the pretty pictures and edit all of the fluffy montages that you want. You're not the first and you won't be the last. It's not like this is somehow a new idea. Others have come before you and others will follow. In the end, you'll find the same obstacles as your predecessors. And you'll move on. Instead, you could attempt to improve Birmingham from it's core, but that seems to be too much of a serious commitment for many, so they move along and the cycle repeats.

It really is unfathomable to me that you are so hateful that you took something that is suppose to be so incredibly positive, and just shit on it.

Well, you're skewing it quite a bit, but in essence, I am exposing it for exactly what it is. It's an marketing and networking event with little impact on what is really stifling development and growth in Birmingham. It has no effect or bearing on the communities in need of the most enlightenment and development. It ignores everything west and north of downtown and just pretends that it doesn't exist. Birmingham is held back because of these communities and their willingness to vote in the same kinds of politicians over and over. Until that changes, good luck.

Why? Because those politicians have a "what's in it for me and my constituents" attitude. If it takes focus or power away from those districts, expect those politicians to find every obstacle possible to hinder your development. But don't take my word for it, look into it yourself. Follow up with the proposals that come out of this TEDx fiasco. Attend Council meetings that pertain anything being proposed. Follow those stories and events as they unfold. Spend the 2+ years following significant developments and watch politics stifle their implementation because they don't benefit them or their area in a way they can capitalize on.

Change takes a positive realistic outlook;

Couldn't agree more! I'm positive that a realistic outlook is grim for the evolution of this city while it retains it's current leaders and those with political agendas similar to them.

... nothing is going to change if you just talk about what's wrong with the world.

Until you fix the foundation, building the house is foolish and reckless.